Jamie's the champ

Second point-to-point title for Codd

Point-to-point by Pegasus

Jamie Codd, winner of the national point-to-point riders' title for the second time

Jamie Codd emphatically clinched his second Irish point-to-point riders' championship at the weekend, his pair of doubles in Kinsale and Ballingarry giving him an unassailable 67-58 lead over Barry O'Neill with just one meeting left in the season.

It was also a memorable year for O'Neill who set new personal seasonal figures, and for a host of other Wexford riders and trainers. The final race day was at Ballingarry on Monday; we will carry details of that in next week's issue as well as a review of a year dominated by the thriving Co. Wexford point-to-point scene.

Jamie Codd kept up his relentless run of success with a double at the South Union Foxhounds meeting at Kinsale on Saturday, but it was also really memorable day for 18-year-old Tiernan Roche from Tomhaggard who rode his first winner.

Codd struck in the first two races, taking the mares' winner of one on Indian Native for Cork connections, and then the five-year-old geldings' maiden on Between the Waters, a fourth of the season for Tipperary owner/trainer Pat Coffey, who has also had a few winners in the care of Denis Murphy at Ballyboy, The Ballagh.

In the latter race Harley Dunne came third on Toujours Libre, trained by Colin Bowe and owned by Rob James, the Killanne rider who lost out the last couple of months through injury when enjoying his best-ever season. Fourth of the 14 runners was Ironwil, ridden by J.J. Slevin for his parents, Shea and Elizabeth.

The big moment came for young Tiernan (TP) Roche in the older mares' maiden when he scored his first-ever win on Cidersall, his eighth ride of the season, owned and trained by Paul Stephen Kiely. He took it up before the last and cleared away to beat twelve rivals.

In his wake was no less than champion elect, Jamie Codd, on Pat Coffey's Ar Feabhas Ar Fad, and J.J. Walsh was third on Someone's Opera, trained in Bunclody by Anthony John Black.

Barry O'Neill's winner came in the mares' open race when he pulled off a big shock on Jimmy Mangan's Gabrielleamee, easily outpointing the hot favourite, Mick Winters' Theatre Princess.

Codd and O'Neill both moved to Ballingarry, Co. Tipperary, on Sunday for day one of the Ormond Foxhounds two-day fixture, and Codd copper-fastened his grip on the title as O'Neill failed to score.

Codd struck early with his two wins and a second in the first three races. He rode the winner of the four-year-old mares' maiden for his brother, Willie, and the Doyle Racing Partnership.

He steered Germaine (Germany-Arctic Aunt) to a one and a half-length win over Aunt Eva, ridden by Barry O'Neill for Colin Bowe. Presenting Lucina was fourth of 15 runners for Denis Murphy under Jimmy O'Rourke.

Codd completed his double in the five-year-old geldings' maiden on the Canny Man for Willie Harney from Templemore, with Shane O'Rourke from Foulksmills second on Free Return for Eddie Howard. Jimmy O'Rourke and Denis Murphy again filled fourth from 15 on Kits Other Half.

Codd was well beaten in the second race, the five-year-old mares' maiden, taking second on Tom Hogan's Muchadoaboutnothing, behind Johnny King on Mark Fahey's (Kildare) Das Mooser. He was also second in the last, the seven-year-old maiden, on Clutch for Hugh Paul Finegan, behind Ted Walsh's Sam King.

Day two of the South Union Foxhounds meeting took place at Kinsale on Sunday and the total Wexford domination of the four-year-old maidens was continued to the very end of the season as Pat Collins drove home Coco Live (Secret Singer-Iona Will) for Seán Thomas Doyle and the Monbeg Syndicate.

The race was notable for the return to action of multiple champion, Derek O'Connor, after a long injury lay-off, and he came third on Lynx, owned and trained down at The Hook by Pierce Michael Power.

In the six-year-old geldings' maiden, Harley Dunne from The Ballagh got second on Medal of Freedom and J.J. Slevin was third on Vincent and Jimmy Devereux's Turn the Sod. The race was won by Ciarán Fennessy on Norman Lee's Eager to Know.